BRITAIN'S favourite horders The Wombles are visiting the Wear Valley this weekend to encourage residents to follow their example at the launch of a £700,000 recycling scheme.

Around 80,000 homes in the Wear Valley, Teesdale and Derwentside will be targeted by the initiative that aims to meet government recycling targets.

Starting this month, all houses in the three council districts will receive a green recycling box for paper, card, cans and glass. A separate sack will also be distributed for textile collections.

In a pioneering move that has never been attempted on such a large scale before, each recycling box will be fitted with a unique bar code that will be scanned every time the boxes are emptied.

Money for the kerbside scheme comes in the form of a £700,000 grant from the Government's Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund.

It is being supported by a partnership that includes Wear Valley District Council, Teesdale District Council and Derwentside District Council.

Waste management company Cory Environmental will be providing the recycling collection service in Wear Valley. Foreman Recycling will sort the collected materials from all three districts and Groundwork West Durham will provide advice in local environmental awareness initiatives.

Project officer Lindsay Reed from Cory Environmental said: "Everyone is welcome to come and join the event on Saturday to find out about the scheme.

"It will be a fun and informative day and a great opportunity for local residents to learn about recycling and how they can do their bit for the local environment.''

The official launch of the kerbside scheme takes place in Bishop Auckland Town Centre, on Saturday from 11am to 3pm.

Residents are invited to go along to the event where children's television characters The Wombles will make a special guest appearance along with displays, competitions and give-aways.

The Wombles have been chosen to promote the scheme because they are depicted as going picking up the mess that 'every day folk leave behind' on Wimbledon Common and making good use of it.